Abscondo Perceivius!
by JaraelMoonsilver
Summary: Skye Nightvale is a first year at Hogwarts, and she's a bit late with, well, everything; including arriving at the school. Then, a mysterious encounter with Professor Snape changes her life... but is it for better or worse? T just in case; mostly drabble, a bit of crack, a dash of angst if I feel like it, and maybe some hinted ships later :) Review, review, review!
1. Sorcerer's Stone Begins

**Owe this one a bit of explaining, I suppose. So, after years of denying me the pleasure that is the HP books, my mother has finally given in. It's been two weeks, and I just finished Prisoner of Azkaban on Sunday. Whilst waiting for my dearest mother to finish Goblet of Fire so I can read it, I decided to write some random crap regarding Snape and an OC.**

**Just so you know, this story starts during Harry's first year, and revolves around a Gryffindor student the same age as him. He hardly makes an appearance, but I'm sure he will eventually. It will move along with the series, eventually getting through all the books. I'm releasing the two (really short) chapters I just wrote in the span of twenty minutes right now, so you'll have about 1,000 words of this fic before I have school catching up to do. So, without further ado... enjoy!  
**

**Oh, one last thing! THIS FAN FICTION CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE BOOKS! PRETTY MUCH A NO-BRAINER, BUT JUST THOUGHT YOU SHOULD KNOW!**

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Skye Nightvale, first year, silently crept out of her room and back through the painting. Her footsteps made almost no noise as she made her way down the wide hallways of Hogwarts. She breathed a sigh of relief, thinking she had made it. But then, suddenly…

"What are you doing out of bed?"

She whirled around, and came face-to-face with the one professor she hoped wouldn't catch her: Severus Snape. "Oh!" She scrambled backwards, running into the wall and dropping her wand in the process.

"Don't be so loud," He warned. "You're going to wake the whole school." He swept her wand off of the ground, and muttered a spell. She looked down, and saw her body slowly turn visible once more.

"P- Professor! I'm so sorry! I- I was having trouble sleeping, so I came out here. It's nice and quiet, and I was going to go back after I got tired! I swear! That's not against the rules, is it?" The words tumbled out hurriedly.

Snape's mouth twitched at the corner, and she assumed he was very annoyed. "Calm down," He finally said. "It's not against the rules, at least, not that I know of."

She let out the breath she had apparently been holding. "Thank you, sir!"

"Come over here," He gestured for her to follow. They both stepped into the light streaming in from a high window. He looked her up and down. "Hm… this is most disturbing…"

Her heart began to beat faster. What did he see?

He stopped. "I'm sorry, I don't recall you from my class. You are…?"

"Um, S- Skye N- N- Nightvale, s- sir…"

He nodded. "Well then, Miss Nightvale, care to explain how you were able to walk about invisible?"


	2. An Encounter With Snape

Skye's heart wouldn't slow down, but it slightly comforted her to know he wasn't going to turn her in. At least… not yet. Professor Snape crossed his arms impatiently. "Well?"

"Um…" She tried to concentrate on what he had just said. "How- how were you able to see me if…"

"If you were invisible? I saw a shimmer around you. Nothing any Muggle, or student, would notice, but enough to make me aware someone was there."

"Oh." She took a deep breath. "Well… It was during Charms yesterday. I was trying to cast my spell, but…" She blushed deeply. "This is going to sound silly. I sneezed while waving my wand, and when I looked down… there was no me to see. A simple revealing spell brought me back, but, well… that's how I discovered it."

"Hm," Snape stared at her for a long time, then nodded.

"Well, Miss Skye, I think we should make a deal."

She nodded. "What- what kind of deal?"

"You promise you will not use that spell again tonight, nor tomorrow, and in the morning before classes I will take you to see the Headmaster."

"But…" She was almost too afraid to ask. "Why… do we need to see the Headmaster?"

Snape sighed, not wanting to admit it. "It seems you have stumbled across a spell that even I am not aware of its existence." Skye's jaw dropped. Snape led her back to the painting.

"Oh, and, Miss Skye…" She turned. "Don't tell anyone about your spell."

She nodded, terrified, and made her way back into her room. She collapsed onto her bed, and fell into a restless sleep.

**Yeah... bad ending. I'll try and do another chappy later, but you may have to wait longer. Sorry! Also, please, please, please! tell me what you thought. I could also bring in other characters later. I'm planning on having Hermione in the next one, but... yeah. Tell me which character you'd like to see, and I might add them! Also, please no spoilers! I know a lot of the plot twists (darn you, Internet!), but on the off-chance that my mom reads this, I'd like to keep it spoiler-free. So, what are you waiting for? Go review this story!**


	3. Late Again

**This one's really short. Like, _really_ short. I know people have read this, and I want some reviews, dangit! What do you think? Anyways, read on!**

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"Hey," Skye felt someone shaking her shoulder. _I don't wanna wake up…_ She thought as she rolled over.

"Hey! Come on!"

Finally, she sat up. There stood Hermione Granger, one of the girls who slept in her room. Skye rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "What?"

Hermione looked relieved. "Good. Um… I forgot your name."

"Skye. And you're… Hermione, right?"

Hermione nodded. "I came back up because breakfast is almost over, and-"

"What?"

"We've got about twenty minutes before classes start. I didn't want you to sleep all day-"

"Oh, no!" Skye lept out of bed, throwing her clothes on. "I can't eat! I have to go meet the professor!"

"Professor?" Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Right now?"

"Yes! Oh, Professor Snape is going to kill me…"

"Snape?!" Hermione's eyes widened.

"Is there an echo in here?" Skye stopped. "Sorry, that was rude. Uh, thanks for waking me." She ran out the door, quick as lightning. "See you in class!"

"I'll try and save you some breakfast!" Hermione called out after her, but she was already gone.

She shook her head and muttered, "She's going to die…"

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**Snippet of Hermione in this one. Maybe more as it goes on...?**


	4. Impatience and Kindness

Snape was standing right outside Dumbledore's office, with the most impatient expression Skye thought was possible. She skidded to a stop in front of him, trying to catch her breath.

"I'm… sorry, Professor… I slept… too late… didn't hear… the others…"

"It's not me you should be apologizing to," He replied. "I told Dumbledore I would return with you in five minutes _20 minutes ago_."

Skye gulped, her cheeks still flushed. "I'm sorry. Really, I am! I promise I didn't mean to-"

"Let's just go," He said, pushing the door open.

Sitting at his desk, as per usual, was Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. He smiled as the pair entered the room. "Skye Nightvale, I presume?" He asked, looking through his half-moon glasses. She nodded dumbly. His smile widened. "Severus had told me about your discovery, miss. Would you mind showing me?"

She nervously reached into her pocket, then realized she had left her wand in her room. Sweat dripped down her face as she stuttered, "Um… Headmaster, I- I seem to have…"

Snape sighed, rolling his eyes. "Here," He handed her his. "Just make it quick."

She flashed him a grateful smile, then took a deep breath. "Ab… Absco…"

Dumbledore nodded encouragingly. "It's alright. Go on."

She swallowed, then slowly waved the wand. "Abscondo Perceivius!" A tingling sensation spread from her fingertips to her toes. She glanced down, grinning. She was completely invisible.

"Hm," Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "This is most extraordinary." He leaned forwards, his eyes flitting across where he assumed she was. "Can you turn yourself back?"

"Sure," She replied, feeling more confident now that no one could see her. She took a deep breath, and reversed the spell. Once she had a hand, she was able to give Snape his wand back. "Thank you," She told him.

"Don't forget yours next time," Was his only reply.

A wave of terror struck Skye once more. "Um… am I allowed to use that spell?"

"Well, has it injured anyone? Including yourself?"

She shook her head. "Except someone tripped over me when I first discovered it," She added with a half smile.

Dumbledore clapped his hands. "Then, I suppose there's no harm in it!"

"You'd best not use it in front of the other students, though." Snape added. "No use causing unwanted attention, hm?"

Skye nodded. "Yes, sir. I'll only use it if I absolutely need it."

Dumbledore smiled at her as she turned to go. "Have a pleasant day, Miss Nightvale."

"You too, Headmaster!" She called over her shoulder as Snape led her out the door.

"Skye!" There, waiting for them, was Hermione. "I thought for sure Professor Snape-"

"What about me?" He asked, stepping out of the room behind Skye. All the blood drained from Hermione's face.

"Er… nothing, sir." She grasped Skye's hand. "Come on, we'll be late for class!" She hurried away from the imposing form of their Potions teacher. Skye glanced back at the last second.

"See you in class, Professor!"

Snape, his mind already on something else, simply grunted distractedly in response. However, once the girls had disappeared from sight, he found himself murmuring, "Interesting girl, that one. A bit timid, but she could definitely straighten that out. Ah, well…"

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**Ooo, intriguing! I wonder what's going to happen next...**

**Why are you still reading this? Review it already!**

**Also, the spell Skye uses (that I clearly made up) derives from the word (I assume, I was using Google Traslate; we all know how reliable that is) meaning "to hide" or something, and the word "perceive" (which, um, means "to see"). So... yeah. Terrible spell, but I needed to call it something! Also, yes! That is also the name of this fanfic! You clever little reader, you...**


	5. Volunteering for Almost Certain Death

_Later that day…_

Skye couldn't concentrate. Her mind was still on the extraordinary events of that morning; and last night, too. And she couldn't figure it out: had Professor Snape… complimented her?

_"It seems you have stumbled across a spell that even I am not aware of its existence…"_ Was she really that special? Did she really come up with a new spell?

"...Nightvale…"

"Hm…?" She murmured.

"Miss Nightvale!" Snape slammed his hands down on her table, finally grabbing her attention. Her head snapped up; the sniggering from the Slytherins (mostly Draco) were clearly heard.

"Y- yes, Professor?" She squeaked.

Snape was using that expression again; somehow impatient and superior at the same time. "It seems you fully comprehend the lesson somehow, even though I have yet to finish explaining."

"Oh, no, Sir!" Skye shook her head quickly.

"Then what," He leaned in close, "Pray tell, is so interesting that it would block out my lecture completely and cause you to destroy what you had started as your potion; if you can call it that," He said condescendingly.

"Everything," Whispered Ron from behind her. Fortunately, the only one close enough to understand him was Harry, and Skye was able to cover for him with a sudden coughing fit. Then, she lowered her head slowly.

"I… I don't know."

"Hm," Snape nodded. "I thought as much. Five points from Gryffindor," He added to everyone's dismay (everyone in Gryffindor, that is).

"I'm really sorry, Sir. I promise I… I'll pay attention from now on." She took a deep breath. "If… if it would make up for it… I'll gladly drink my ruined potion as punishment."

A hush fell over the classroom. No one, no one, had ever volunteered for a punishment, and most definitely no one would be so foolhardy to do so in Snape's class. His cold eyes darted from the rest of the class back to Skye. "Miss Nightvale, if I may speak with you privately?"

She nodded silently, then walked with him back to his desk. She heard people muttering behind her, but she did her best to ignore them. "Y- yes, Sir?"

He took a seat, then sighed. "It is quite interesting, Miss Nightvale…"

"What is, Sir?"

"You seem to have quite a knack for this class; you're brilliant, in fact. Yet, for some reason, it takes you the entirety of our time together doing what should only take you half the time, at best." He raised his eyebrows. "I wonder why that is?"

After trying to hide the fact that she was blushing, she pinched her lips together. "I'm sorry, Sir. I just… no one likes a know-it-all. And… I really don't like being the center of attention. I don't want people noticing me."

"And volunteering for a punishment does that quite nicely, don't you think?"

Her face became an even deeper shade of red. "Um… I'm sorry…"

He sighed once more. "I have no doubt you will have fixed your potion by the end of class. However, they will still expect to see you punished."

"I… I could take Neville's," She muttered. Snape's expression remained unchanged, but just the slightest twitch of his mouth made Skye sure he didn't know what to say.

"Um… I suppose…" He glanced at the class behind her. "Yes, you may do that." As he escorted her back to her seat, he whispered to her out of the corner of his mouth, "Let's hope he hasn't completely poisoned it, shall we?"

Skye resumed her position, and Hermione leaned over. "If you want help fixing your potion, you know, so it doesn't kill you-"

"I'm fine," She replied quickly. "You don't want the Professor to know we've been cheating, do you?" She whispered.

"No, no you're right! Never mind." Hermione flashed her a sympathetic smile before whispering back, "Good luck."

"Five points from Gryffindor!" Snape called out, making Hermione jump. "Do try and keep your mouth shut for at least one class, Miss Granger." The snickers from Draco's lackeys didn't help Hermione's complexion from becoming bright red; although whether she was blushing or fuming, no one could tell.

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**Okay, so... Hermione seems to be a recurring character. Who else? More of Ron? Harry? Maybe Fred and George...?**

**Also, review right now or I'll come to your house at night and murder you in your sleep... :)**


	6. Courage Earns Respect

Professor Snape clapped his hands. "Well, it seems our time has run out. Miss Nightvale…" He glanced down at her cauldron. "It seems your were able to fix yours just in time. However, drinking this would be no punishment, I should think." He smirked. "Why don't you go ahead and have a little taste of Mr Longbottom's here?"

The class erupted with voices; the Gryffindors gasping and muttering about how cruel that was, and the Slytherins grinning and nudging each other.

Skye ignored them. She turned to face Snape, her eyes locking with his, and said in the steadiest she had ever used, "Of course, Sir." Then, with a bold stride, she went to stand next to Neville. He had the palest face in the room.

"You… you aren't actually going to… to actually…?"

She shrugged. "Why not?"

"Why not!" His eyes widened. "This is one of my worst classes! You could die!"

"But, I won't." She gave a confident smile, trying to hide the fact that she was shaking. "You've never messed up_ that_ badly. I trust you. Besides," She glanced at Snape, "If I do die, you all are witnesses; Professor Snape was my murderer." A few of the students giggled quietly. Snape, in turn, gave her a scowl that could wither grass.

"Well?" He asked.

She took a deep breath, carefully ladling the mixture into a small cup. She caught a brief whiff of it and gagged. "O- okay, here goes nothing…" She shut her eyes tightly, then quickly downed the entire cup.

Skye set the cup back onto the table, straightening. The others leaned in, anxious to see what would happen. She took a few deep breaths, the waiting causing her head to pound… or was it the potion? Suddenly, her throat felt like it had burst into flames. She began to cough uncontrollably, different colored smoke streaming from her mouth and nose. Professor Snape, not so much as blinking, passed her a glass of water, which she gulped down. After a minute or so, the smoke had died. Her throat still burned, but it wasn't as intense.

"Well, I suppose you're lucky is only made you smoke, Miss Nightvale." She could do nothing but nod as Snape continued. "Longbottom!" The boy shivered as his name was called. "See what happens when you screw up? Don't be so hasty when assembling the potion next time, hm?"

"Just wait… twenty points from Gryffindor," Draco muttered loud enough for Neville to hear. Neville began to sob silently.

"Mr Malfoy! Please do not interrupt," Snape interrupted, making Draco fume. "As I was saying…" The whole class shivered at the thought of what he might say.

"Yes, Sir…?" Skye asked quietly.

"...Twenty points to Gryffindor."

_To? To Gryffindor?_ Everyone muttered excitedly. Snape had never _ever_ awarded points, much less to _Gryffindor!_ Skye stared at him blankly.

"...Sir?"

Snape's expression remained unchanged. "Gryffindor is commonly known as the House of the Brave, is it not? I have yet to see such a display of courage, and trust, for that matter, in anyone in this school for a long time." He waved his hands. "Go on, you're going to be late to your next class."

As everyone scrambled for the door, Snape placed his hand on Skye's shoulder. She turned, her heart nearly stopping. "Y- yes, Sir?"

"I wish to speak with you one last time," He merely said.

"Alright…" They both walked to his desk once more. As soon as the last student had left, Snape began.

"...Well done, Miss Nightvale."

"Um… Thank you, Professor…" She bit her lip. "I'm sorry I caused so much trouble-"

"I have one request," He interrupted.

Skye's eyes widened. "Yes?"

"Stop apologizing all the time. It's quite annoying."

She nodded. "Yes, Sir. I'm sorry you- I mean- I- I don't know…" She trailed off. Snape allowed himself a small smile.

"One more time, and I believe I shall go mad."

"Yes, Sir." She stood there for a minute, before speaking up again. "Um… about last night…"

"Yes?"

"Why…" She gulped. "Why were you out? In- in the halls, I mean."

"Same reason as you," He replied. "Lately I haven't been getting to sleep easily. So, I… patrol the halls, I suppose. Make sure no one is up, then I make my way back to my room."

"Ah." They were silent. "Um…"

"You're welcome to join me," He added.

"Sir…?"

He laughed, for the first time in front of anyone in a long time. "I get lonely sometimes. And I suppose you do, too?"

Skye realized what he was saying, and she nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, Sir! I… Can I really come with you?"

"Unless you need the sleep," He nodded. "And as long as it doesn't make you fall behind in your studies…"

"No, Sir! I won't fall behind!"

Snape glanced out into the hallways, making note of the crowd coming towards his classroom. "You're not making good on that promise at the moment. You're late for next class."

"Oh!" She thanked him, then hurried out the door as the other students came streaming in. She glanced back in time to see his smile slowly disappear, but not before waving slightly to her. She waved back, then tore through the halls. Unfortunately, her mind was more distracted now than ever.

_I'm going to meet him again tonight…? What was I thinking?_

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**Yay! Moar chappies! REVIEW OR ELSE, DANGIT! I'm lonely!**


	7. A New Friend?

Once again, Skye quietly crept out of her room and into the large hallways of Hogwarts. Once she exited the portrait, she began to make her way through the dark corridors. However, she didn't get one step out without letting out a terrified scream. She was grabbed by the arm, and another hand wrapped around her mouth.

"Shh!"

She blinked, adjusting to the poor light, and saw what had caused her to jump._ "Mmmph fffmmh?"_

Snape removed his hand, letting her take a few steps back. "You mustn't be so loud. There are other people in this school who prefer to stay asleep at this time of night."

Skye was still trying to catch her breath, pressing a hand against her chest as if to slow her heartbeat down manually. "You- you scared me-!"

He shrugged. "You're the one who decided to scream."

She tried valiantly to glare at him, but found the situation too funny all of a sudden. "Well…" She said after hiding her grin. "_You_ didn't tell me you were going to wait right outside."

"And _you_ were ten minutes later than you were last night."

"So now you're timing me?"

Snape shook his head, a smile beginning to spread across his face. "Come on, we can walk and talk."

After a few minutes of awkward silence, Snape spoke up. "...Skye…"

"Hm?"

He cleared his throat. "Oh. Nothing. I was just… thinking out loud."

She waited a moment, then said, "Professor, did you just… call me Skye?"

Snape stopped, thinking. "I… suppose I did… Why?"

Skye raised an eyebrow. "You've never called me by my first name before."

"Well, I suppose I haven't." He sounded quite flustered, which made Skye's grin widen. "If- if you prefer I don't…"

"I don't mind, Professor," She said quickly. He was just as hopeless as she when it came to small talk. "I like being called Skye rather than Nightvale, anyways. It sounds like a brighter name, whereas Nightvale sounds… well, kind of eerie." She was still sort of shaking at the thought of talking alone to Snape, but it was getting better.

"Then… if I am to call you by your first name, you must stop referring to me as 'Professor'."

"Then what am I to call you?" She said, surprised at how bold she was acting.

He thought for a moment. "You can call me Severus… if you would like…"

"...Severus?"

"Well, it's not really school hours, and while I don't mind you calling me Professor, it just seems-"

"No, no," Skye's smile returned. "It's just that… I've never referred to an adult by their first name." Her smile grew. "Severus… It's a nice name."

"I'm glad one of us thinks so," He replied.

"No, really." She repeated his name. "Severus Snape. Sssseverus Sssnape," She said, elongating the vowels and holding out the "s"s. She turned to him. "It's really quite a Slytherin name."

"I suppose," He said.

"Just imagine: some hotshot Slytherin has a child, and named it Severus Snape. 'He's going to be Slytherin, of course! You were Slytherin, I was Slytherin, he shall be a Slytherin, too!'" She said in a gruff voice. "But then, after he arrives at Hogwarts, the sorting hat puts him in… I don't know, Hufflepuff! Do you think he would change his name? Or maybe, join Slytherin anyways?"

Skye finally earned a small laugh from her teacher. "I'd never thought about it that way."

"Hardly anyone does," She simply said.

"And I suppose Skye Nightvale is a Gryffindor-worthy name."

"How so?" She asked, glad that she wasn't shaking anymore.

"The Skye's the limit for the brave of heart, and as you said, Nightvale is a bit creepy-sounding. But, we all have to face our fears sooner or later, and the way we handle it determines our courage."

"Wow…" Skye blushed at the way he described her name. "You're good at this."

Severus shrugged. "It's not like I have a lot to think about on nights like this."

They continued their conversation until they had made their way through the entire school. As they drew nearer to the portrait, Skye summoned the courage to tell him something. "Um… Profe- S- Severus…?"

"Yes?" He glanced down at her, eyebrows raised.

"Well… I just was thinking…" She gulped. "I don't want to insult you or anything, but… I think I prefer Severus to Professor Snape."

"What do you mean?"

"Um…" She began to blush furiously, now that she knew he wasn't going to yell at her. "What I mean is… I like you better as a friend than as my teacher."

"A frie-" He stopped, swallowing. "A friend?"

"Yes." She nodded. "And… I understand if you have to act tough and cold in the classroom, but…" She gave a tiny smile. "I hope that Professor Snape never shows up during our walks."

She came to a halt. "Oh! Here we are." She turned to go her separate way. "Goodnight, Severus. See you tomorrow…?"

"Hm? Oh, yes." He nodded. "Of course. Tomorrow."

As she left, he began muttering to himself. "What is wrong with me? I'm saying all these things… Does she really think of me as a friend?" He shook his head, then walked off towards his own room.

"Ah, well, it's getting late… I should head off…"

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**I'm a bit curious to find out what you thought about this chapter in particular. Of course, reviewing all the chapters wouldn't hurt, either... (HINT HINT)**

**Also, I know Snape is really out-of-character in the recent chapters. That's just how I wrote him, okay? *sobs in the corner* Humans are mean...**


	8. That's Cheating, Ron

**Hello, mah internet peeps! Another chapter for your enjoyment. At least, I think you're enjoying it. I assume so. *insert shameless begging for reviews here*  
**

**Anyways, hope you like this one!**

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_You're too trusting._

The words echoed through Skye's subconscious mind. She muttered in response, "I don't care…"

_Too eager for a friend, too strange to attract one._

"...shut up…"

_A Professor? That will _definitely_ help you not stand out._

"Go away!" She cried out, being jolted from her sleep. She sighed, her heart pounding. A glance around the room told her it wasn't even remotely time to wake up.

"Great…" She whispered. _I'm going to be asleep through half my classes later._

Grabbing her wand from under her pillow, she crept out of the girl's dormitory and headed into the common room. _Might as well get a jump on my homework._

Being a month late arriving, she had quite a bit of catch-up work to do. She smiled, thinking of the day she'd finally come to Hogwarts. She was terrified, but Dumbledore insisted on letting her attend. _He's really kind, albeit a tad strange._

_Or he just says that to all the students so they don't cry themselves to sleep._

_Shut up._

"Alright… save the best for last, so…" She sighed, feeling her heart sink. "Charms. Great." It was not, by a longshot, her best subject. In fact, her best subject was indeed Potions, but she'd already caught up with the rest of the class. Transfiguration wasn't that good, either, but it was better. Herbology was okay, and Care of Magical Creatures was fine, but she definitely wasn't getting top marks on either.

Pulling her books out, she began reading furiously. She wasn't sure how much time had passed, but by the time she looked up the room had begun to get brighter.

The sound of the door opening startled her, and without thinking she muttered, "Abscondo Perceivius!" There, invisible in the mostly-darkened room, she watched as two figures entered.

"...don't really think…"

"It has to be!"

Skye recognized the voices of Harry Potter and Ron Weasley immediately. _What are they talking about?_

"But… sure, he's a big, mean jerk. That still doesn't mean he's evil!"

The pair took a seat at Skye's table, and she flinched as they noticed her books lying open before them.

"Whose do you think these are?"

Ron shrugged. "I don't know. Come on, I've got to finish this essay before Hermione wakes up! She'll kill me if she finds out I've put it off this long." He glanced around the room. "You don't think the person would mind if I… took a few ideas from them?"

Harry looked uncertain, but Ron nodded. "Yeah, I think that'd be fine. I mean, it's not like they'll find out."

Skye fumed silently as he copied her homework right in front of her. She had to get out of here, but how? Thinking back to what she had read earlier, she grasped her wand tighter.

"Wingardium Leviosa," She said in a voice that even she had trouble hearing. The chair she had pointed at slowly floated up a few inches off the ground. She then broke her concentration, and the chair came crashing down; just loud enough to get the boys to turn their heads.

"What was that?"

Leaping quietly from her seat, she sped down the corridor into her room; not stopping until she was safe in her bed. Turning herself visible once more, she swallowed hard, trying to drown out the pounding of her heartbeat.

She lay there for a moment, but fatigue soon overcame her and she drifted back to sleep.

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**Hey! There you are, Harry! I've been looking for you! Also, I'm sorry is chronology is messed up in these upcoming chapters; I don't have a frame of reference because my brother is _still_ reading SS and he won't let me near it. Dangit, bro! Finish the book already!**

**Oh, yeah! I'm halfway through Order of the Phoenix, if anyone cares! Two more, and I'll be able to talk about characters dying without feeling like I've spoiled it for myself! Yay!**

**See you next time! Bai!**


	9. OOC Much, Professor?

**Another chapter for you guys! Yay! This one's not nearly as long as the previous, but I hope you'll forgive me for that :) **

**Anyways, any requests for other characters? Do you guys want more of Skye's back story? Do you want me to ship her with someone? I'll try my best to do so if you want, but have to tell me!**

**Also, I really hope you're enjoying this. And I hope my chronology is correct... I guess we'll know soon enough! Review!**

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_Knock-knock-knock!_

"What do you want now? I told you- Oh. It's you, Skye."

Skye nodded, still trying to figure out what she was going to say. "Um, Professor? I, uh… wanted to…"

Snape waited for a moment, then stepped aside. "You may as well sit down." She entered the classroom silently, taking a seat near his desk.

"I was making sure everything was in order," He explained, though he wasn't sure why. "Shouldn't you be at lunch?"

"I'm finished," Skye replied. Then, taking a deep breath, she said, "You're a liar, Professor."

"What?" Instead of getting angry, like she expected, Snape simply furrowed his eyebrows.

"You… you said it wasn't against the rules to sneak out the dormitory. I knew it was, but I just… I don't know." Skye fiddled with her sleeves, not looking him in the eye. "You should have scolded me, told me to go back to bed, something. Why didn't you?"

Snape sighed, taking a seat in a chair opposite her. "I suppose… you were too interesting to reprimand."

"Interesting?" Skye asked. "As in, I'm just some experiment to observe?"

"No, no." He grimaced, trying to figure out how to put it. "I wanted to find out about that spell of yours, first off. Couldn't do that very well with you planted in your dormitory. And then…" He laughed nervously. "You just acted so… And I thought, if I could get you to talk to me, you'd be able to open more to other people."

"You're starting to sound a bit creepy, Professor." Skye felt a smile starting to spread across her face.

"There! You see, that's what I wanted to see." He grinned back, but inside he wondered what he was doing.

"Oh," Skye said suddenly. "You look pretty tired, Professor."

He blinked, then shrugged. "So do you."

"Yes, but you look absolutely awful." She frowned. "What happened?"

"Just a difficult night," He shrugged again. "Nothing to worry about."

"Yeah…" Then, remembering the events of that morning, she asked him curiously, "Do you know…" She stopped. "Oh, never mind."

Raising an eyebrow, Snape gave a slight smile. "Still intimidated, Miss Nightvale?"

"Just a bit," She replied with a grin. She stood. "I should really get ready for class. I'll um… see you later…?"

"If you still want to," He said, nodding. "I'll be waiting."

"Alright," She said, then left.

"Tonight…" Snape nodded as she disappeared. "I'll have to take care of that earlier, then. Hm."

He didn't have any more time to think, because the students began filing in. He sighed, standing; the almost-permanent scowl returning to his face once more.


	10. Help Provided, Questions Unanswered

**Another shorter one... sorry about that. I'm kind of stuck for ideas... if you have a suggestion, I would be most grateful!**

**Anyways, more Hermione in this one. Anyone want the Twins? Hagrid? More OOC Snape? Please, please, please! tell me!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Skye was once again up early, trying her best to study. Well, that's what she told herself. What she really wanted was to catch another snippet of Ron and Harry's conversations; get more information on what they were concerned about. However, the first person to enter the Common Room that morning was Hermione.

"Oh! Hello… Skye?"

Skye sighed inwardly. She seemed to be cursed; no one would remember her name. She smiled at the other girl brightly, nodding. "What are you doing up this early, Hermione?"

Hermione shrugged. "I like getting up early. It helps prepare my mind for the day's work…" She noticed Skye's pile of books. "Oh, were you trying to study?"

Skye nodded, giving a sheepish grin. "I'm still a little behind on, well, everything."

"Transfiguration, huh?" Hermione took a seat next to her. "Oh, this one. It can be a bit tricky if you don't-" She stopped herself. "Sorry, do you want some help? Ron says I need to stop butting in…"

"No, no!" Skye grinned. "I'll take any help I can get."

Hermione smiled, pulling her wand out of her pocket. "See, this one had me stumped because I was concentrating so hard I held my wand too tight. You want to hold it like this," She demonstrated, and Skye copied her. "Good! Now, the action is pretty simple. You just…" She flicked her wrist, and the candle holder in front of them morphed into a small wooden bear.

"I think I've got it…" Skye muttered as Hermione turned it back. "Just… flick it like… this?"

The candle holder wobbled back and forth, and a tiny wooden head pushed itself out of the top. Skye sighed, frustrated. "I guess I haven't got it."

"It's alright," Hermione said, patting her arm comfortingly. "That was good for a first try. But this time… Here, close your eyes." Skye obeyed, smiling in spite of herself. "Okay, now picture the candle holder changing its shape. It's getting shorter, growing legs… you see it?"

"I… I think so." Skye said, her eyes shut so tightly she was starting to see spots.

Hermione put her hand on Skye's wand hand. "Now open, and try again."

After three more tries, Skye finally got it to change fully. She smiled brightly. "I did it!"

"Good job!" Hermione smiled back.

Skye glanced at the clock on the wall. "Shouldn't the others be awake by now?"

Hermione looked around the room, then shrugged. "They usually are lagging behind. "However…" She frowned. "Harry said he wanted to tell me something. Hm." She stood. "I'll see you in class, Skye."

"Yeah. Later." Skye nodded, cursing herself mentally. Of course! Hermione was best friends with Harry and Ron; she would have known what they were talking about. She sighed, gathering her books together.

_Oh, well. I can ask her later._


	11. Too Kind, Too Nosy

**Finally got my hands on SS! Chronology is a bit messed up, but it'll be better in the next chapters, I promise! On a side note, my bro's already halfway through CoS (#soproud), and I'm halfway through HBP! Yay! Almost done!**

**So, um... I skipped Halloween. Yeah. But, Christmas is coming! So yay for that! Please review!**

* * *

Skye awoke one morning, her mind at a standstill. Next week was Christmas! How had time gone by so fast? Thinking back, she had been pretty absorbed in her studies the last few weeks- or was it months?

_The only time I remember something interesting happening was… on Halloween, when the troll appeared._

She had almost no recollection of anything else. Closing her eyes, she sighed deeply. _First year here is turning out just-_

"...Fluffy…"

Skye's eyes shot open, and she looked over to the bed next to hers. Hermione was muttering in her sleep. _She's never done that before…_

"...Snape...las Flamel…"

_Snape?_ Skye felt her heart beating faster. _Why's she talking about Snape? And Flamel… I've heard that name before._

Hermione turned over, groaning. "Do your own, Ron…that's...cheating…"

Skye sighed. _I'll bet that's all she's going to say about that._

Then, she had an idea. _I can just check the library before anyone else wakes up for that Flamel person. As for Severus… I'll visit him in between classes._

On the way to the library, she realized where she had heard the name Flamel. _Those old mythology books that Dad took away… There was a story about a man named Nicolas Flamel. And he…_ She stopped, her hand hovering above the knob of the library door.

_He was an alchemist… bent on creating gold from other substances. And he made the…_

She racked her brain, trying to remember what it was called. Still thinking, she entered the quiet room and made her way to one of the shelves. Scanning the spines, her eyes alighted on one titled _Notable Magical Items and their Creators._

_Huh. That's convenient._

Flipping to the back, she ran her finger down the index. _Ah! "Flamel, Nicolas"!_

Whispering to herself, she read the entry eagerly. _"...most well known creation, known to Wizards and Muggles alike: The Sorcerer's Stone!"_

_That's it! The Sorcerer's Stone! I knew it!_

Shutting the book and placing it back on the shelf, she smiled widely. _That takes care of that… Now I just have to wait to talk to Severus._

* * *

As it turns out, she didn't have an opportunity to talk to Severus at all that week. Nearly everyone was leaving, and Severus was determined to cram as much knowledge into their heads that it would be impossible to forget over the holidays, so she never got the chance.

However, on Christmas Eve she finally caught him in the halls on the way from breakfast.

"Professor!"

Snape turned his head, and his stern expression melted. "Ah, Skye. I haven't seen you in a while."

Skye felt as if his smile, however small it was, made her feel a little warmer. She thought quicking, trying to come up with an opening sentence. "Um… so, um… Christmas tomorrow." She cursed herself silently. Snape must have sensed her feelings, because he chuckled.

"So it is, Miss Nightvale."

"I- I've learned a lot from that last class you did." She stuttered, not wanted to mention that he could have been a bit more kinder.

"Really?" He shrugged. "I doubt anyone else did."

"I was wondering…" She tried to form the words _Sorcerer's Stone_, but her mouth was too dry. "Um… do- are we supposed to have read up to a certain point in our textbooks?"

He pondered this for a moment. "Not a specific page number… but you should have made it through all the chapters that I've assigned."

"What- what if I've already finished the whole thing?"

He raised an eyebrow, another tiny smile beginning to form. "You've finished?"

Skye nodded. "When I can't concentrate on my other subjects, I read a bit of it until my head isn't cramped anymore."

"So you think of it of nothing more than a distraction?"

"Oh, no! No, I- I just-"

Snape actually laughed. "I was kidding. You're too easily frightened. You're like an owl, ruffling your feathers every time someone gets too close."

"Do you know anything about the Sorcerer's Stone?" She blurted suddenly. Snape's laugh died, and Skye cringed at the deadly silence that followed.

"What do _you_ know about it?"

"I- nothing!" She responded quickly. "I just saw it in a book when I was younger, and- and I thought, since all this other Wizard stuff is real, it might be, too!"

Snape considered her, then shook his head. "There's nothing to know. If it does exist, I wouldn't know. If anyone was aware of its existence, it would be the Headmaster. But-" He stopped her from speaking up again, "I wouldn't ask him, if I were you."

Skye nodded furiously. "Yes. Of- of course."

Snape glanced around the hall, as if nervous that someone had heard them. "Don't mention it again."

The cold tone in his voice filled Skye with a sense of dread. However, she simply nodded. "Yes, Sir. I- I'll see you at dinner, Professor."

Then, turning so he couldn't see the stricken expression Skye now wore, she hurried down the corridors towards her Common Room.


	12. One Christmas Present is a Plot Device

**Yay! Finally another chapter! It's Christmas!... almost a month after real Christmas. Sorry.**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoy this one. A bit more of Skye's backstory, as well as more OOC Sevvy! Yay!**

**Oh, and I'm halfway through DH. The psychological damage that ensues will be catastrophic. I hope I'm aptly prepared...**

* * *

Skye had a hard time getting to sleep that night. All she could think about was the Sorcerer's Stone, and Severus' reaction to her mentioning it.

But, she did sleep eventually. And when she awoke, she found everyone around her talking and laughing.

"Happy Christmas!" One of the girls called out excitedly.

Skye sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, and found a small stack of presents at the foot of her bed. Two was addressed to her from her father, and the other didn't have a name on it. Opening the ones from her father first, she let out a soft cry of joy.

"Oh… he remembered!"

In the small box was a necklace; gold chain with violet gems woven into it. As she held it up to the light, she saw the same thing that had fascinated her as a small child. The gems had veins of silver, green, and red running through. She smiled, remembering how her father had said the gems matched her eyes perfectly until she pointed out the other colors.

_Mum put it in a box for when I came to Hogwarts…_

Still smiling as she fastened it around her neck, she opened the other one from her father. It was a well-worn notebook; written inside, clearly in her mother's handwriting, were various spells and other notes she had taken during her time at Hogwarts. Skye flipped to the back, and found a mess of scribbles, but one in particular popped out at her.

_First-year friends, Ruby and Lily._

Below the signatures, sketched roughly yet recognizable, was a picture of her mother, about her age, holding hands with another girl._ She must be Lily,_ Skye thought, closing the book gently. _I never knew Mum had close friends here. But, then again, I never knew she was a witch until four months ago._

She slid the notebook under her pillow, then turned to the third and final present. She flipped it over, but still found no indication as to who it was from. Puzzled, she carefully unwrapped the paper.

It was a book. There was no title on the front, and the cover was plain red with a gold border. When she ruffled through the pages, at first they seemed blank. However, when she focused on one page, words began forming. It was a story… no, it was a book of spells- no, it was instructions for a potion Skye'd never heard of. She grinned, and then a mirror appeared on the page, grinning back at her. When she returned to the first page, she found a short note scribbled in neat handwriting.

_I don't think you'll get too bored with this._

She lifted the book from the bed, and found beneath it two new quills and a bottle of black ink. Smiling, she took them all and set them on top of her pillow. She knew who had sent it, although she was too excited to do anything but grin.

She then glanced out the window, realizing how late it was. Hurriedly changing, she ran downstairs for breakfast.

* * *

Skye, as per usual, ended up alone at the end of the Gryffindor table. She didn't mind; it gave her time to think. Although, as she tried to run back over the events of yesterday, she kept getting interrupted by people's shouts. Sure, it was Christmas, and everyone was excited, but couldn't they be excited_ quietly?_

She shrugged, giving up. She let out a giggle as she caught sight of Dumbledore sporting a ridiculous hat from one of the poppers. Her eyes met Snape's, but he broke the gaze almost immediately. She bit her lip, suddenly wishing she hadn't mentioned the Sorcerer's Stone yesterday.

"I'm sorry if I upset you," Skye whispered to herself. A sudden chill ran down her spine as Snape met her eyes once more. He looked a bit stunned, but managed to flash her a slight smile, nodding briefly. Unsure of what just happened, she turned her attention back to her food.

* * *

"I'll just walk up and say, 'Thank you for the lovely gift, Professor.'" Skye muttered as she paced one of the empty classrooms. "Yes, just say thank you and walk away. No need to say anything else…"

"No need to say what?"

Skye jumped, her heart pounding in her chest as she whirled around. Her bright violet eyes locked with the familiar dark ones, and she tried to smile. "Oh, P- Professor! I didn't know you- you were there…"

Snape took a seat, studying her. If she didn't know better, she'd have sworn he looked amused. "I assume you are referring to me?"

She turned bright red. "Wh- why would you think that?"

He shrugged. "I've never heard you speak of any other Professor… to yourself, especially."

She bit her lip, staring hard at the ground. "I- I wanted to say thank you for the book, Sir. It's amazing, and I love it."

He tilted his head to the side. "What book?"

"The one you sent me!" She replied, not noticing a tiny smile growing on his face. "It was with my presents from my Dad this morning."

He glanced around the room innocently. "I'm not quite sure I know what you mean. I've never given Christmas presents to any student, and I don't intend to start now."

Skye found herself grinning at him. "Alright, alright. I get it."

"Get what?"

She hit him playfully on the sleeve. "Stop it." Her face burned hot again as he looked at her. She withdrew her hand, staring at the ground once more.

"Sorry."

Snape stood. "Well, I was just making sure you didn't run away. Dumbledore's trying to make sure everyone is at dinner tonight- specifically those who didn't show up for lunch."

Skye shuffled her feet. "I wasn't hungry."

He gave her a look, but turned to leave without mentioning it. "Oh, by the way…"

"Yes, Sir?"

He smiled faintly at her. "I hope you have a good Christmas, Miss Nightvale."

Skye beamed at him. "You too, Professor!"

* * *

**Hm... A Quidditch match is coming... I know, I missed one. Skye didn't pay attention to the first one because she was so busy with studying (at least, that's my excuse).**

**Anyways, please review! Any character requests? I'll never know if you don't ask!**


	13. Meeting the Twins and Scheming

**Been a while, hasn't it? Had to watch SS again to get in the mood, but the chapter's out now! I have officially finished the series, and am sooo happy (and really depressed)!**

**Anyways, the story hopefully should be picking up in the next couple chapters. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Skye tried to forget about the Sorcerer's Stone. She was so intent on forgetting it that she had to resort to...

_Talking to people._ She shuddered, but slowly got up the courage and walked over to the small group that had formed around the fireplace.

"Hey, Harry," She said softly. The boy's bright green eyes looked up at her.

"Oh, hi…" He trailed off, clearly trying to remember her name.

"I'm Skye," She said. It was almost automatic now. She leaned over to see what was going on. "You doing something important tomorrow?"

"Why do you say that?" He asked, stealing a glance at Hermione and Ron.

"You just seem less at-ease than you usually do." It was true. Harry had a pretty care-free air about him most of the time. But now, he seemed to tense up at even the mention of tomorrow.

"It's just the Quidditch game," Ron explained. "He thinks he's going to be jinxed like last time."

"I still don't understand why he did it," Hermione muttered. Ron rolled his eyes.

"Come on. He hates Harry. Why wouldn't he?"

"Who jinxed Harry?" Skye asked, her worries forgotten. "When was that?"

Ron stared at her. "The last match, back in November. We're you there?"

Skye turned slightly pink. "Oh… I must've been busy that day…"

Harry shook his head. "It's not that. Besides, it wasn't that big of a deal."

"Oh, really?" Ron sighed. "Yeah, Snape jinxing you-during a match with hundreds of witnesses, no less- is nothing."

"It's not because I was jinxed," Harry said. "It's because that old git is refereeing, and who knows what he'll do this time?"

Skye's eyes widened. "Sev- Snape jinxed Harry?"

Hermione nodded. "Well, he actually jinxed the broom. But, yes."

"This clever little witch set his robes on fire," Ron chuckled, grinning at Hermione.

"Someone had to do something," She protested modestly, but still looked pleased at the compliment.

Skye's brow furrowed. "I didn't… know that…" She muttered. "I don't think… he wouldn't…"

"Er…" Ron cleared his throat. "Skye. I, um, what you did in Potions earlier this year…" His ears began to turn pink. "That was pretty amazing. No one's stood up to Snape like that before."

"Bit late for congratulating, isn't it?" Hermione said almost stiffly. "Like you said, that was over three months ago."

Skye coughed. "Um, I- thanks, Ron." She flashed him a shy smile, then began to back away from the group. "I really need to get back to my studying, but… good luck tomorrow, Harry."

Shaking her head, trying to process all the new information, she walked out of the Common Room.

* * *

Curled up on her bed, Skye scanned her magic book. Images of Severus kept popping up, but they didn't help. A certain potion also showed up multiple times, but she didn't think much of it.

Groaning, she slid the book away. Wand still clutched in one hand, she rubbed her eyes. "This can't be healthy."

She sighed, laying back. Eyes closed, she didn't notice a strange mist swirling around the tip of her wand. The only reason she opened her eyes was because she suddenly felt something was different. Her mind seemed to be clearer, and a solution was suddenly right before her.

The page still open, Skye read the title. _Veritaserum._

Something moved in the corner of her eye, but when she turned all she saw was her wand. A strange cold feeling spread through her head, but quickly vanished. She shook her head, then turned back to the instructions.

"Alright… let's do this."

* * *

The next day, Skye realized what a challenge this was going to be. At least two of the ingredients weren't readily available. Which meant, unfortunately…

"Oy, what're you doing?"

Skye's head shot up, and she quickly back away from the door she was trying to open. Her violet eyes met with two pairs of brown ones, along with a faceful of freckles and messy, bright red hair. "Oh…" She began, staring at the ground quickly. "Er…" She swallowed. "Fred and George, right? What, er, where are you two going?"

"Quidditch, of course," George replied.

"It's going to be an interesting game," Fred continued.

"Because Professor Snape is refereeing?" Skye asked. George nodded.

"You heard what he did last time?"

"Yeah…" Skye bit her lip.

"So, what are you doing here?" Fred asked.

"Snape's office… he really doesn't like people going in there without permission."

Skye's mind raced. "I… I'm trying to get some ingredients for a potion," She admitted.

"What sort of potion?"

Skye swallowed again. "A… a sleeping potion." She nodded. "Yeah. I wanted to have something up my sleeve if Snape tries something this time. Knock him right out during dinner."

The Twins regarded her with a sort of awe. "Not bad…" Fred mused.

"You know what?" George reached out his hand and slipped her something.

"If it's to get Snape…" Fred grinned.

"Use this. You are worthy."

Skye looked down, and saw a tiny key. "How… what…?"

"We make it our business to be able to get into anywhere," Fred explained.

"And your name is…?" George asked, realizing they hadn't asked. Skye smiled.

"I'm Skye Nightvale."

They shook hands, then glanced at each other. "We should probably get going."

"Wood'll have our heads if we're late."

Skye waved after them as they hurried away. Then, taking a deep breath, she opened the office door.


End file.
